Asbestos is a naturally existing fibrous mineral that can cause serious health issues if inhaled. Twenty years ago, asbestos used to be an integral part of various building materials. In Australia, an alarming number of deaths are due to asbestos-related diseases with 4000 people still losing their lives yearly. Despite the high number of deaths, asbestos usage is common in many countries worldwide because of its resistance to heat and corrosion. Thankfully however, usage of this material no longer occurs in Australia, however there are still plenty of homes and business premises containing the material. Asbestos, if undisturbed, causes minimal health risks. However, the severity of the risks may increase if anyone disturbs it.

If you need to have asbestos removed from your home or workplace, we certainly recommend hiring an asbestos removalist for risk-free removal.

Asbestos fibres are dangerous if airborne and breathed in. It’s often thought that the severity of the risk depends on how often and how long a person exposes himself to the mineral but any risk is dangerous. Asbestosis (scarring of lung tissues), mesothelioma (cancerous tumours developing around lungs or intestine), pleural plaques (thickening of membranes around the lungs), and lungs, larynx, or ovarian cancer are asbestos-associated diseases. Breathing difficulty and scarring of the lungs are among the common symptoms of asbestos-related diseases.

How to Manage These Risks?

Managing asbestos risks is mandatory to protect your workers and even family members from diseases. We recommend following a four-step risk management process to minimise the dangerous effects and this is what we will do when on-site, abiding by all regulations set by the Queensland Government.

The four steps of the asbestos risk management process are:

Identify the risk

The first and foremost step in the asbestos risk management process is identifying asbestos in your building. Always hire professionals with proper qualifications, training, and experience to spot the right places. It is far better to maintain the ACM register in the building. However, there is no need to keep the log for the buildings built after 1989. Try to make an asbestos removal plan if it is detected.

Risk Assessment

After identifying the risk, the next step is to assess the severity of the risk. It helps you plan effective measures to control the risk. Note that asbestos, in excellent and untouched condition, is a little risky. However, the magnitude of risk would be greater if it starts deteriorating. The disturbance causes asbestos fibres to mix in the air and cause lung diseases if inhaled.

Control Management

Control management comes into play when you assess the severity of the risk at your home or workplace. Control measures are necessary to save your workers and family from exposure. The use of personal protective equipment and isolation of the risks is essential to protect your workers and family. You can use administrative controls to reduce exposure to hazard.

Review Risk Controls

The above risk management steps are not enough if you do not review those risk controls from time to time. Risk management should be an ongoing process, and safety laws require you to review the process. Tracking the control measures enables you to change the course of action if the risk management is not proving fruitful.

If you need asbestos removed, contact Icon Asbestos Removal. We’ll identify and manage all the risks involved in removing asbestos from your home or workplace.